Sharpening device for scissors



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. N. WOLF. SHARPENING DEVICE FOR SUISSORS.

Patented Oct. 19,1897.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. N. WOLF. SHARPENING DEVICE FOR SGISSORS.

No. 591,906. Patented Oct. 19, 1897.

WITNESSES INVENTOR vention.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH NEVIN \VOLF, OF PULLMAN, ILLINOIS.

SHARPENING DEVICE FOR SCISSORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,906, dated October 19, 1897. Application filed December 81, 1896. Serial No. 617.575. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I,- J OSEPH NEVINTIVOLF,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Pullman, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SharpeningDevices for Scissors, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sharpenin g devices for scissors, shears, and similar articles, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient sharpening device which will enable the blades of scissors, shears, rte, to be accurately sharpened simultaneously, the device being adapted to accommodate itself to the various angles of the blades as they are drawn over the abrading-surfaces.

The various objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description.

The invention consists in an improved sharpening device for the purpose described, embodying certain novel features, details of construction, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of asharpening device constructed in accordance with the present in- Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, showing a pair of scissors'in position to be sharpened. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device, showing the hinged members of the sharpener moved apart. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing said members in contact with each other. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device, showing the extremities of the handles moved apart and omitting one of the hinged members of the sharpener.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the handle of the improved sharpener, which is preferablyformed from a single piece of wire, the same being bent into open-loop form and provided with inward offsets 2, as shown, to form finger-holds by means of which the spring terminals or arms 3 may be moved toward each other, the said arms havinga normal tendency to spread apart. their extremities the spring-arms 3 are provided with squared or irregular-shaped openings 4, .in which are fitted the opposite ends of a rod 5, the said ends being shaped to correspond to the shape of the openings 4 for preventing the rotation of the rod therein. The rod 5 is provided at its extremities with collars or heads 6 for limiting the outward movement of the arms 3, and is also provided at points removed from the ends of the rod with other stationary collars 7 for limiting the inward movement of said arms. The extremities of the arms are extended inward toward each other and are pointed, as indicated at 8, to form wedges, the function of which will'hereinafter appear.

, 9 designates a pair of plates forming the hinged members of the sharpener. These plates are arranged on opposite sides of the rod 5 and are provided upon their innersurfaces with inwardly extending ears 10, through which the rod 5 passes, whereby said members are mounted upon a common fulcrum consisting of the rod 5. The members 9 at their upper edges are beveled upon their adjacent surfaces, so as to come together at an acute angle, as shown in Fig. 2, and are normally forced apart as to their lower edges, and together as to their upper edges, by means of a coil-spring 11, which is disposed around the rod 5. One terminal of said spring bears against one of said hinged members and the remaining terminal bears againstthe inner surface of the other member. The hinged members 9 are also provided adjacent to their upper edges and upon their inner surfaces with inclined notches or recesses 12, into which fit the ends of the wedges at the eX- tremities of the arms 8. Thus when the arms 3 are forced toward each other, the wedges engage the said inclined notches, and thereby serve to spread apart the upper edges of the members 9, thereby changing the angle of said members relatively to each other. Each of the hinged members 9 is provided on its outer surface with a series of dovetailed grooves 13, and within said grooves are mounted a corresponding series of sharpeners 14, having beveled edges to engage under the under-cut edges of the grooves, and pro- At or near vided with inclined or oblique outer sides which are milled to form sharpening or abrading surfaces for action on the edges of the blades of the scissors. It is preferred to graduate the several sharpeners from coarse to fine teeth in order to expedite the sharpening of the blades drawn across the same, said blades being first drawn over the coarse sharpeners and progressively over the other sharpeners until the final pair of sharpeners is reached, the latter being more in the nature of burnishers to impart a fine smooth cutting edge to the blades. The sharpeners of one hinged member of the device are disposed reversely and also alternately to those of the other member, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that both blades of the shears or scissors may be simultaneously operated upon.

In operation the scissors are applied to the sharpening device, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and are then drawn outward away from the sharpener, sufficient pressure being at the same time applied to-the scissors to close the blades thereof upon the hinged members of the sharpener, said members being adapted to yield and accommodate themselves to the angles of the blades. If it is desired to prevent the rounding over of the ends of the .blades, an inward pressure is exerted upon the arms 3 of the handle, thus drawing thelower or inner ends of the members 9 toward each other and preventing them from acting on the extremities of the blades, thus leaving said blades with a straight edge. It will be understood that the inclination of the abrading-surfaces of the sharpeners corresponds to the bevel of the cutting edges of the blades of the scissors or shears.

It will also be understood that the device as an entirety is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction which may accordingly be resorted to without departing frm the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sharpening device, a pair of relatively-movable abrading-surfaces, in combination with means for adapting said surfaces to automatically accommodate themselves to the varying angles of the blades of the article being sharpened, substantially as described.

2. In a sharpener for scissors, a pair of abrading-surfaces pivotally connected, and means whereby the angle. of said surfaces relatively to each other may change automatically, substantially as described.

3.- In a sharpening device for scissors, a pair of abrading-surfaces adjustable as to their relative angles, and a movable wedge for changing their relative angles, substantially as described.

4. In a sharpening device for scissors, the combination with movable arms, of a pair of abrading surfaces mounted between said arms and operatively connected thereto whereby in the inward movement of said arms, said abrading-surfaces will be shifted as to their relative angle, substantially as described.

5. In a sharpening device for scissors, a handle having spring-arms extending therefrom, in combination with a pair of abradin g-su rfaces pivotally connected and arranged between said arms, and means whereby said arms are adapted to shift said abrading-surfaces and change their relative angle, substantially as described.

6. In a sharpening device for scissors, the combination with a handle having movable arms provided at their extremities with wedges as described, of a pair of sharpening members interposed between said arms and pivotally related to each other,the said wedges being adapted when moved inward to spread said sharpening members and to vary their relative angle, substantially as described.

7. In a sharpening device for scissors, the combination with opposing movable arms, and a rod connecting and slidingly related to said arms, of hinged members fulcrumed on said rod and provided with abrading-s'urfaces, means for forcing the edges of said members yieldingly together, and positive means on the arms for spreading the edges of said members apart, substantially as described.

8. In a sharpening device for scissors, spring-supported sharpening members connected and relatively movable, said members being provided with abrading-surfaces inclined reversely to each other, substantially as described.

9. In a sharpeningdevice for scissors, a pair of hinged members provided with abrading-surfaces inclined reversely to each other and also alternately disposed or arranged out of alinement with each other, substantially as described;

10. Ina sharpening device for scissors, the combination with a handle and operating movable arms thereon, of a rod connecting the side portions of said handle, hinged members-.fulc'rumed on said rod, a coil-spring surrounding said rod and bearing against the adjacent surfaces of said members for forcing the same normally apart and holding said members at an angle to each other, and wedges carried by said arms and adapted to be forced between the hinged members for varying their relative angles, said members having abrading-su'rfaces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH NEVIN WVOLF. IVitnesses:

PERRY TIBBETS, CHAS. W. CRAWFORD. 

